For the purposes of this guide, I've divided the park trails into three categories: rim, corridor, and wilderness. In the Grand Canyon, some of the rim trails and all of the corridor and wilderness trails are considered part of the backcountry.
Trail Difficulty Levels -- Because of the huge elevation changes on the canyon trails, none can be called easy. In general, describing a trail as easy, moderate, or difficult oversimplifies the situation. For example, Hermit Trail is easy to follow and relatively gradual between the rim and just above Santa Maria Spring, but it's considerably more rugged after that. Tonto Trail is an easy walk in places, but has almost no water and very little shade. Here is a subjective ranking of the most popular trails that go from the rim into the canyon, in order from least to most difficult:
South Rim
- Bright Angel
- South Kaibab T
- Grandview
- Hermit
- Hermit/Dripping Spring/Boucher
North Rim
- North Kaibab
- Thunder River
- Bill Hall
- North Bass
- Nankoweap
Rim Trails
As the name implies, rim trails are on the canyon's rim, rather than descending down into the canyon. Some rim trails stay in the park's developed areas; these are usually paved, with relatively gradual inclines. They can be very busy, but sometimes afford nice views. Other rim trails go farther away from developed areas and into the nearby piñon-juniper, ponderosa pine, and spruce-fir forests. These have a few steep or rugged stretches, but most are quite manageable. Many lead to scenic canyon overlooks and are often uncrowded.
Corridor Trails
When descending into the canyon for the first time, even experienced backpackers should consider one of the three corridor trails, North Kaibab, South Kaibab, or Bright Angel, discussed in detail below. Well-maintained and easy to follow, these are regularly patrolled by park rangers. Each has at least one emergency phone and pit toilet. Drinking water is available at several sources along both the Bright Angel and the North Kaibab trails (some of these sources are seasonal), but not on the South Kaibab. Check at the Backcountry Information Center or visitor center for current water availability before starting your hike. While hiking the corridor trails, you can spend your nights at Bright Angel, Cottonwood, or Indian Garden campgrounds, each of which has a ranger station, running water (seasonal at Cottonwood), and toilets.
Wilderness Trails
By hiking on corridor trails, you can acclimate to the conditions in the canyon without having to negotiate the boulder-strewn and sometimes confusing wilderness trails, which also go into the canyon. Rangers are rare on wilderness trails, which are not maintained and can be difficult to discern, as they have washed away in some places, and, sometimes, descend steeply down cliffs. On the less traveled wilderness trails, help can be very far away if something goes wrong.
The corridor trails provide access to backcountry campgrounds, but most wilderness trails accommodate only at-large camping, meaning that it's up to each hiker to find a campsite. Unlike the campgrounds, the campsites along wilderness trails do not have purified water or ranger stations nearby, and only a few have pit toilets. On the busiest wilderness trails, campers may be limited to designated sites.
Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.
